Air tank



Nov. 8, 1927.

H. F. HOEVEL Filed Jan. 14, 1922 l u'llllllll/A m@ m m www N@ Patented Nov. 8, 1927.

UNITED STATES HERMAN F. HOEVEL, OF NEW YORK, N. vY.

AIR TANK.

Application inea January 14, 1922. serial No.' 529,164.

My invention relates to air-tanks, particularly of the type in which the air is employed to carry fine material, such as sand, from the tank through suitable piping to nozzles for projecting such material against objects to be treated therewith. Tanks of this type have been made to receive the sand or other fine material through an opening closed at times by a valve, under the influence of the compressed air, while atv other times this valve is allowed to open, to cause the material stored above the valve, to pass into the tank.` Air-tanks of this character, as made hitherto, have had certain drawbacks owing to the fact that the movement or stroke of the valve had to be rathersmall, thus also restricting the size of the opening through which the stored material passed downwardly into the tank. On account of this, the transfer of such material into the tank through the valve opening was rather slow.

The object of my present invention is to overcome this difficulty and to provide a con struction allowing the valve to move to a.

relatively considerable distance from its seat so as to afford a comparatively wide opening for the passage of the sand or other material into the tank. The subsequentclosing of this valve is obtained by the pressure of the air acting on said valve either directly or through an element operativelyy connected therewith, in such a manner that the compressed air will move the valve toward the closed position before such air enters the tank proper. y

I will now describe four satisfactory and preferred embodiments of this invention, and the scope of the invention will then be indicated in the appended claim.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a vertical section of one form of air-tank constructed according to my invention, and Figs. 2,. 3

and 4 are partial vertical sections illustrat ing three additional forms of my present invention.

In Fig. 1, 10 indicates the body or shell of the air-tank, with a top or partition 11 having a central opening to which is fitted a plate or ring 12, formed with an opening 13 through which the sand or other material may pass into the chamber 14 'of the tank. his opening preferably contains a sleeve or lining 15, the lower portion of which is surrounded by a. gasket 16, heid in position by a securing ring 17. The lower ace of the gasket 16 forms an annular seat for the upper edge of the cylindrical flange 18 on the valve vbody or disk 19, said disk being formed with a central upwardly-extending boss or socket 20 fitted over a stationary vertical pin or rod 21. Thisrod may be ysecured tothe central portion of a disk or plate 22 supported, by means of brackets 23, from the ring 17. A spring 24 -coiled around the rodl 21, is employed to partly or entirely counterbalance the weight of the valve and of the parts connected therewith, said spring generally not being intended to be of sufficient strength to `close the valve. f

The disk or plate 22. is provided with a cylindrical upward extension or casing 25 aroundl which is adapted to lit a cylindrical flange 26 extended downwardly from the valve body or disk 19. When said flange 26 is thus fitted around the cylinder or eXtension 25, a substantially closed chamber 27-is formed by the parts 19, 20, 22, 25, and 26; however, the flange 26 need not fit air-tight around the extension 25. Into this chamber l ving the sand or other Vmaterial from the chamber 14 vto the nozzles or other place of use. 'In Fig. 1 I have indicated an outlet opening 30 in the bottom 21 of the chamber 14;, the connection of said opening withthe pipe 29 being controlled by a cock`32.

The height of the ange 26 is such that when the flange 18 of the valve is seated `upon the gasket 16, the lower edge of the flange 26 will be above the upper edge of the extension 25, thus affording a wide opening for thel passage of air from the chamber 27 into the chamber 14. A i

The operation is as follows: When the valve is open, as indicated by full lines in Fig. 1, the sand or other material resting on the partition 11 and on the upper surface of the valve'disk, will be allowed to pass into the chamber 14 through the relatively wide opening existing in this position of the' will be'substantiallyequal. For instance, if the 4storage space above the partition 11 is open to the surrounding air, the valve Will be caused to open When the-pressure in the 5 chamber `lt is reducedfto atmospheric pres sure, as by shutting oliE the supply of--coinel presed air to such chamber. As soon as substantially equalpiessui'ies eXistLabov-e and below the partition 11, the Weight oit' the sand or-` othermaterialn restingonltlie valve.

and in inostf cases, the incre Weight of the valve, -ivill open` the latterquiclrly, since', as

statedoabove, the spring124is not strongl enough to keep the valve closed, but isiiitended simply to Vcouiiterbalaiice tliexvveight otthevalvelpartlyor entirely; lWhen coniiessed Jair is then admitted through the raneh4pipe 28`into the chamber 27, such air'wvillfit lift-"the valve, theflatt'ermov- Ving;` after the niannei' off a pistoiilf (even'if there is no` airtight tit) until the flower edge loi-the iiange 2G clears the -upper edge ofYA the1 stationary4 extension4 25. As* soon asithis occurs, the chambers "llland 2'vvill communicate freely at the upper `end ofthe .escape through the opening 13 the valve Will-contine its npivard -nioveiiient until the iia'nge 18'1b'ecoines seated on `the Washer `16, The dotted thus closing said opening 13. liii`es-` in Fig'. 11ind'ic`ate\'tlie" closed position "-'Vof fthe! valve.- Then, as? long as. conditions remain unchanged, the valvefWillbe kept closednbyfthexpressure of air in the clianiber 14, and nowsandor otherfniaterial )vill pass into saidwchaiinberwuntilutlie` valve is caused.-l -tof open again.Y by restoringla conditionV of equalifpressuresron both sides of the valve.`

.Y Th'eicoiistr-uction: shown in Fig.l 1, in which vthelval-ve `has a flange26 fitted around the Y stationary I extension `or 'cylinder 25, has the advantage that `the `valve covers suoliI cylinder, andziprevents the accidental:passing` of sand or othersubstance into thecliainber 27.k

. However, iny invention is not restricted to .thisvarrangeinenn andA otherweinbodiments 504 are-illustrated'bywFigsi2, 8, and 4.2"

According tofFig.` 2, thelange 26 eictending; downwardly from the `va lve "diskor valve body 19 is not in line With-*the upwardly-l projecting angelS, but is inade lot sinallerV casing-125 instead of-` around the sa-nie.` At

* diameter,- iso fastocfit into the-cylinder orthe lower end `oftheilange 26', I have shown aplateiaghaving openings 35 and engaged by thefupper end of tliecoiled spring^2l. The

Gotinainpurpose of this plate i Bfieis to enable me itc 4use a-shorterspring 24;'liowever, this-- plate imight bre oiiiitted` and the spring finade;

long, enoughito engage-the valve `disk 19 asA inFig'ln In theopenposition `of the-valve,` 35'! Fig2, ,the Vflange 26 covers openingsv inl the cylinder 25. Thus, when compressed air enters the chamber 27 froinitlie pipe 28, the

valve Will be raised, and beoi'e the valve f .becomes sea.tedon.-the gasket 16, the lower edge of thefiange26 will uncover the lower portions of the openings 33, thus establishing tree lcommunication between the chain- `bensi?? and 11i,` ivitlithe saine 4effect as in the construction illustrated by Fig. 1. It Will be understoodthat when tlie valveis seated,

the openings 33 will be' uncovered fully, the

Vlower edge of the flange 26" being? either flush with the upper edgeof said openings,

tween the flange `26 and `the cylinder2'55is not essential. 1 1 y Inthe construction shoWii in Figi 3,1 eniploy a piston-like" plate 36 insubstantially thefsanie position as the plate 34 ofFi`gl.`2,"

but` the Aplate i 36 isiinperorateA and thus forms the upper VWall of the 'chainberlf'2*7. Thefplate Sois connected wvith the valve body 19l by a sleevegf fitted around thevpin 21 the boss or socket 20. Theoperationnofthis forni oit iny invention Willbepracticallyfthe saine as inthe case of Fig. :2. The boss-20 and the pin`21 guide, or help toguidegftlie particular importance in* the construction Fig. 1, in Which, when near the seatingpostion, the valvelcaii` no longer berguided by `the cylinder 25,r since thefflange26 clearslsaid and forming, il desired, acontinuation-"of" lill `valve in its .vertical.nioveinenty this .isf of cylinder. In Figs.4 2 andw, tliew'cylinder i25'V Y always remains `in enga-gement- With a .p'or- A `tion ofthe valve structure, or ati leastclose enough thereto `tohold the valve: against` material :lateral movement.

While Figs'rl, 2; and 33 show coiisti'uctionsf i in lvvliichjthe valvev 18", 119'1is above the.n conipressed-air chainber `27, l Fig! #t illustrates an i `arrangeinent 1 in which. the relation ot these Vparts is reversed. In thisiconstruction, .1a stein or,` rod` `3S, secui'edw to itlieV .valve .body

19, extends upWardlyfffroni tiieu center* of thisbody to aA plate "or piston 391oiming. the

upper` Wall oi the chambeiw27" Withinfthe cylinder l or` :casing 25, the ylatteri being located above the partition I11` and :supported :frointlie plate 12 by1 brackets 235er otherwise. i Compressed air is supplied .toitlie clianibepi27by al pipe 281as before. Asithe valve approaches its seating 'positionarthe piston 39Willipiogressively' uncover one `or inoreopenings 335111` the' Wall of thecylinder 25', and compressed air will then pass ifrom the clianiber 27 through said opening or openings `and through afpipe oipipes -40 into tliecliainbel 14; ftliat is to say, the chain bers l27` and 14;` Vwill ooinniunicatefreely when thepiston 39 is above-theopening- 3 3.

A suitable packingtl is indicated Wlieretlie rod 38 passes througlitlie bottoni22 ofthew counterbalance partly or lentirely the Weight `cylinder .25", and` a spring 24;""serve`sy` to` i secure the important advantage that the pressure iuid Will act on the comparatively large surface of the plate 19, 36, or 39, thus causing the valve 18, 19 to close more rapidly and with greater force than if the end ofA said pipe 28 (Without any casing or enlargement) discharged directly against such plate i9, 36, or 39.

Various modifications may he made Without departing from the nature of my invention as set forth in the appended claims. rIhe balancing spring 24 or 24 might he omitted. In the constructions illustrated by Figs. 1, 2, and 3, I should generally prefer to have the flange 26 or 26 or the plate 36 tit the cylinder 25 loosely, to secure easier play of the valve. If there was a small permanently-open hy-pass connection from the pipe 28 to the interior of the tank, this Would he Within the scope of my invention, since the operation of the valve relatively to the opening 13 and to the casing or cylinder 25 o1' 25 would remain practically the same as Without such ley-pass connection.

In each of the constructions illustrated herein, the casing which defines the chamher 27 or 27 is an apertured casing. In the form shown in Fig. 1, said casing has a single aperture, constituted by the open end of the cup-shaped casing; in the forms shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 4, the casing has a plurality of apertures 33 or 33. It will be obvious that the open end of the casing shown in Fig. 1, and the plurality of apertures in Figs. 2, 3, and 4, are full equivalents of each other.

I claim A tank provided with an opening for the entrance of a charge of material, an inwardlv-opening'valve for closing said opening, an open ended casing having a cross sectional area approximately equal to the area of said valve; a conduit connecting said casing With a sourceoi1 fluid under pressure, and a flange extending from said valve toward said casing and of such length as to stand clear vof the casing When the valve is seated, so as to establish free communication between the casing and the interior of the tank, said 'flange tting the said casing when the valve is fully open, to interrupt the free communication of said casing With the interior of the tank.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification.

HERMAN F. HoEvnL.` 

